In Eindhoven, experts from all over the world are meeting today at a conference to see whether doctors should adhere to different values in the treatment of patients from now on.
Not 37 degrees
“We all think that the normal body temperature is 37 degrees. Both doctors and Wikipedia say that,” Luuk Otterspoor, cardiologist at Catharina Hospital, tells EditieNL.
But that idea is based on measurements from 1850. “The times were very different then. People were walking around with all kinds of ailments: from tuberculosis, autoimmune diseases, bad dentures with abscesses and other infectious diseases. They were not treated at that time and there was no prevention.”
Old measurement
The temperature measurement was done randomly. “So there will have been a lot of people with a disease among their members and therefore a higher temperature.” As a result, the average temperature has turned out higher.
A lot has changed since then. “There was better prevention, people became more hygienic and antibiotics were introduced. As a result, the temperature has slowly started to drop.”
Different per moment and person
Every ten years the average temperature drops by 0.03 degrees. It has now been shown that the temperature is not 37, but 36.4 degrees Celsius. “But it can also differ greatly per person, so we don’t know exactly when you actually have a fever.”
Suppose your average temperature is 36.5 degrees, then it may just be that you already have a fever at 37.5 degrees. “The number doesn’t tell you everything. So ask yourself: Do I feel bad? Am I tired? Do I have a sore throat?”
In addition, your temperature differs per moment. “In the morning it is lower than in the evening. In addition, there is a higher temperature during menstruation.” The temperature is also higher on hot days like today. “So I think it’s time to let go of those 37 degrees. That theory is outdated.”